Workflows

A workflow tracks a multi-step process — a contract review, an entity formation, an annual filing. Each one carries a checklist, assignments, due dates, and a complete history of who did what and when. Workflows attach to any record, so the process lives alongside the thing it’s about.

Lextree workflows track rather than enforce. They don’t force you to complete steps in order or block a status change until everything is checked. Instead, the activity history records every action, giving you an evidence trail of how the work happened.

Where you’ll find workflows

• On a record. Every record’s detail page has a Workflows section you can expand to start and track workflows for that record.
• In the Workflows activity view. Activity → Workflows lists every workflow you’re a participant in, across all modules. You can filter by status, due date, and module.

Starting a workflow on a record

Creating an ad-hoc workflow requires Editor access to the record’s module.

1. Open the record and expand the Workflows section.
2. Click add (+) to start a new workflow.
3. Give it a name, an optional description, and an optional due date.
4. Add checklist items for the steps involved.
5. Assign the workflow or individual items to the people responsible.
6. Save.

Checklists, assignments, and due dates

• Checklist items are the steps. Check them off as work is done — in any order. Items can be individually assigned and given their own due dates.
• Assignments associate people with the workflow or specific items.
• Due dates on a workflow or its items automatically create calendar events, so deadlines appear in the Calendar and trigger reminder notifications.

The activity history

You can edit the workflow record, but its activity stream is permanent. Every change — item checked, assignment added, status changed, comment posted — records the time and the person who made it. Removing a checklist item hides it from the current view but keeps its history in the stream.

Workflow templates Business Enterprise

On Business and Enterprise plans, admins can define reusable processes as workflow templates in Settings → Workflow Templates — a named process with a standard checklist. Templates make recurring work consistent.

Template-based workflows have an extra rule: starting one requires explicit authorization on the template, not just Editor access to the module. This lets you publish request processes that specific people can launch.

Participants and requests

People assigned as workflow participants can open and work on a workflow even if they can’t otherwise access the parent record. This lets you bring in an approver or specialist for one process without granting broader access. Make the workflow self-contained by attaching the files and instructions they need.

The Workflows activity view also has a New Request button. It lets someone start an authorized request workflow even without access to the target module.

Workflows vs. events

Use a workflow when someone needs to do something. Use an event when you just need a reminder on a date. A workflow with a due date gives you both — the task and the calendar reminder.

Who can see and edit workflows

• Viewing a workflow requires access to the record’s module (or being a participant).
• Creating or editing an ad-hoc workflow requires Editor access to that module.
• Starting a template-based workflow requires authorization on the template.

On Enterprise plans, organizational unit (OU) scoping also applies to the records whose workflows you can see.